Fellow Cyber Shellhole members ~
A message was passed through to me the other day, asking about progress being made with the Shellhole and for information on the newly-elected Old Bill.  Well, fellow Moths, the questions were well-timed, to say the least.

For your information, I was “elected” to the position during the May National Executive meeting after discussions indicated that the Unit become more formally structured.  The timing - for me, at any rate – could have been a bit better.  I was serving as Old Bill at Marshal Smuts Shellhole at the time and the financial year-end was upcoming as at end of June.  All those particulars related to finalising a year in the correct manner was about to begin.  Moth Don Watt-Pringle assisted as a kind-of Go-Between for the past few months and Moth Ken Meyer has been on hand to communicate to the Cyber Shellhole members on FaceBook and through normal e-mails.

Well;  all that is in the past now.  I have stood down from all Shellhole executive posts at Marshal Smuts, which allows me to concentrate on Cyber.

I have also been asked to put a short introduction together – a sort of resumé – of my service history for you, so here it is.
I did my National Service with the SADF, starting at 1 Maintenance Unit (when still based at Lenz) and finished at 7 SAI (when still at Bourkes Luck) from July ’75 to June ’76.  Regular call-ups included two tours to the Border, Task Force duties, courses and Township tours with various Commando units and detached to DMI until May 1989, and rising in rank to the dizzying height of Corporal.

I joined the MOTH in January 1984 at Cosy Corner Shellhole in Brakpan and served as Old Bill for 3 tours of 2 years each.  I also served as the District Old Bill for 3 years.

After moving to the Cape, I joined Blaauwberg Cuca Shellhole and then Marshal Smuts.  I have just completed 2 years as Old Bill in Somerset West and have served as Provincial Old Bill, Cape Midlands Dugout, from 2007 to 2009.  I am honoured to have been awarded both the Moth Certificates of Comradeship and Excellent Service and, in February 2010, I was co-opted onto the National Executive.

That’s it.

I have high hopes and big plans for Cyber.  One of the issues I would like to see established is a regular and comprehensive Newsletter that would include articles of interest from all Cyber members based all over the country and, indeed, around the world.  I believe, too, that all members should attend the annual Remembrance services in their particular area.  News of the event (with photo’s, hopefully!) will also be included in the Shellhole’s bullsheet.

But this is “our” Shellhole.  Please let me have your ideas as to what you would like to see happen both within the Unit as well as how it should operate and prosper within the Order as a whole.    

Formal Nominal Rolls and relevant paperwork are in the process of being updated and completed.  All members will shortly receive a copy of the Shellhole Charter and a copy of the Nominal Roll.  All news items will be sent to members and will also be found on the MOTH website.  New members will also be requested to write up a brief resumé of themselves so that we all get a chance get more acquainted with our comrades.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Yours Under the Tin Hat
BRIAN PORTER
brian@fd.co.za